For years, the Cleveland Browns have been synonymous with subpar quarterback play. Few teams have had more trouble finding a franchise quarterback than this organization, and its woes may not go away any time soon.
Once again, the Browns will enter the season with arguably the worst quarterback situation in football. They went to great lengths to address every other issue on the roster, but the most important one continues to be a major concern.
As such, it's not much of a surprise to read Garrett Podell of CBS Sports showing his skepticism about this team in 2026. In a recent column, he ranked the Browns' QB room at the bottom of the league.
"There is no quarterback room more chaotic than that of the Browns," Podell wrote. "It's the final year of Watson's contract, and if he can still move around after two Achilles tears, he's the quarterback who has experienced the most NFL success with three Pro Bowl selections."
CBS Sports believes the Browns have the NFL’s most 'chaotic' quarterback room
As much as everybody would love to disagree with everything Podell wrote, it's just impossible. Against all logic, Deshaun Watson might be the team's best option to start, at least for this season.
That doesn't mean Watson should be the starter, though. If there's even a tiny chance that Shedeur Sanders or even Dillon Gabriel can be this team's quarterback of the future, head coach Todd Monken has to find a way to get them on the field.
Sanders left plenty to be desired as a rookie, but he has a higher upside and better physical tools than the underwhelming Gabriel. Neither is an ideal choice, but Watson will be a free agent, and he'll leave regardless.
Then, there's sixth-round rookie Taylen Green. He's something like Anthony Richardson 2.0, a big-bodied athletic freak who can outrun a cheetah, out-jump a puma, and sling the football down the field like the best of them. The only problem is, at Arkansas, he struggled with turnovers and had major accuracy issues. He's a developmental prospect at this point, at best.
All things considered, Browns fans should temper their expectations for the 2026 season. The team should be better, but it will most likely be a rebuilding year with a lot of growth from rookies and second-year players.
The real test will most likely come in 2027. That draft class promises to be stacked with talented quarterbacks, and veterans like Mac Jones and Kyler Murray are scheduled to be free agents. Others, such as C.J. Stroud, Kirk Cousins, Sam Darnold, and Daniel Jones, might also be up for grabs as they enter the final year of their deals.
Hopefully, one of Cleveland's four current candidates for the job will take the reins and lead the team to a playoff berth. Another losing season won't necessarily mean 2026 was a failure, though, depending on how this young roster fares.
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